


The Duality of Purple Flowers on Skin

by bouquetofwhoopsiedaisies



Series: Voltron NSFW Week [6]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alien Cultural Differences, Alien Culture, Alien Sex, Blow Jobs, Cultural Differences, Hand Jobs, Hickeys, Love Bites, M/M, Ulaz thinks hickies are the weirdest thing, Voltron NSFW Week, fight/make-up, jk it's not that weird, more of a disagreement than a fight but w/e, smut in the second chapter, the rest of the paladins are only there for a bit, welcome to Human Sex Ed with your teacher Lance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-02
Updated: 2017-09-02
Packaged: 2018-12-22 18:09:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11972841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bouquetofwhoopsiedaisies/pseuds/bouquetofwhoopsiedaisies
Summary: “I can handle it.”  Shiro says, glaring at him.  “You saw me in the arena.  You should know better than anyone how much I can take.”“I don’t want to see you take it, though.  Please consider it from my side; I saw you in the arena.  I had to watch you being struck and beaten.  I was up to my elbows in your blood trying to save you every time you were brought to me on the verge of death, and I had to stand by and let them take you back to the arena as soon as you were healed enough to fight, always far too soon to be a true recovery.  I know exactly how much you can ‘take’, as you put it, because I had to watch in silence as they did their best to try and break you.”  Ulaz shakes his head.  “I have already seen bruises on every inch of your skin.  I will not see it happen again.  And I absolutely will not be the one to put them there.”(Shiro and Ulaz have a disagreement over how gentle to be with a non-Galra lover.  After an enlightening lesson on human passion from Lance, Ulaz talks to Shiro and they agree to meet in the middle of their differences)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Voltron NSFW Week day 6, fight/make up. Really more along the lines of a disagreement than a fight, but whatever.
> 
> (There actually aren't any pronouns used for Pidge in this fic so any and all gender headcanons are good *thumbs up*)
> 
> Enjoy!

Shiro is only half-awake when he feels the soft touch of Ulaz’s fingers running along the back of his shoulders.  Ulaz’s skin is covered in short, velvety lilac fur, the hairs of which are barely brushing Shiro’s skin.  The touch is so light, he might have missed it, had he been fully asleep.  

“Y’ know, ‘m not glass,” Shiro mumbles into his pillow, eyes still closed.  Ulaz says nothing, and his fingers start brushing the other way, the touch just as light.  Shiro turns his head to the side and drags his heavy eyelids open to look up at him.  “I said, I’m not made of glass.”

Ulaz pauses, tilting his head.  “My apologies, I thought you were still asleep.  Your words were not any less nonsensical-sounding to me than ‘give me the pizza’ and ‘tell Coran the zombies are coming’, so I assumed you were merely talking in your sleep again.”  

“Nah, ‘m awake.”  Shiro lets his eyes fall closed again.  Barely awake, but technically, yes.  

Ulaz resumes brushing the backs of his fingers over Shiro’s shoulders, still barely touching him.  The ghost of fur skimming over his skin is enough to make his hair stand up on end at the weird sensation.  Ulaz tilts his wrist, and something long and hard presses against the skin of Shiro’s shoulders for just a moment, then it is gone again.  “Apologies, again.  My nail brushed against you.”  He leans forward a little bit and peers down at his shoulder, as though examining the area for any sign of injury.

Shiro sighs and rolls onto his side to face him.  “Ulaz, we need to talk about something.”  

“I enjoy talking with you, but you seem quite tired still.”  Ulaz points out, running the back of a finger over the dark bags under his eyes that Shiro is pretty sure are permanent at this point.  Shiro can hardly feel the touch, it’s so light.

“Okay, this is exactly what we need to talk about.”  Shiro says, taking Ulaz’s hand.  “You need to stop doing that.”

“Doing what?”  Ulaz looks confused.  

“Touching me like that.” 

Ulaz’s face falls and he pulls his hand back.  “I am sorry.  I was under the impression that you liked it, but if my advances made you uncomfortable--”

“No, no, not that,” Shiro reaches for his hands again, holding them.  “I didn’t mean that you shouldn’t touch me  _ at all _ ...”  

Ulaz’s eyes narrow.  “Then perhaps you should make your desires a bit more clear, so that I may avoid upsetting you.”  He says, sitting up.  Shiro doesn’t miss the way he subtly puts a bit of space between them.

“That’s just it,” Shiro sits up as well, staying as even with Ulaz as he can.  “I don’t want you tiptoeing around me like that.  I  _ like  _ when you touch me, it’s just… the way you’re going about it is a little… frustrating.  I’m not made of glass, I won’t break if you touch me with a normal amount of pressure.  You can even be a little rough sometimes and leave bruises, I really don’t mind.  I even  _ like _ that, sometimes.”

Ulaz frowns, ears flattening against his head.  “If you were unhappy with our relationship, you should have said so.”  

“I’m not  _ unhappy  _ with it,” Shiro says firmly.  

“Then I do not understand.”  Ulaz says.  “You wish for me to harm you?”

“I don’t… It’s…” Shiro sighs, getting frustrated.  “That isn’t what I meant.  I just meant that you can act normally around me, touch me with a normal amount of pressure.  I’m not going to break.”

“Frankly, Shiro, you are much more delicate than any Galra.”  Ulaz says.  “I could all too easily harm you by accident.”

Shiro has been called a lot of things in his life, but ‘delicate’ was not one of them.  “I’m not some fragile flower, Ulaz, for god’s sake.  If that’s the way you think of me, though, maybe this isn’t going to work out.”  Anger burning in his gut, he flips the blanket off and stalks towards the door.  He would slam it on his way out, if he could, but automatic doors have the tendency to kill a dramatic exit.  

He heads up to the training deck, not even caring that he’s technically in his pajamas -- a tank top and loose sweatpants, that had mysteriously showed up in the closet his first night in the castle -- and barefoot, but really, he has to be prepared to fight in any conditions, so this is fine.  Pajamas, workout clothes… not much difference, provided he wash them.  At this point, he doesn’t even care.  He just needs to punch something for a while.  

He finds Keith on the training deck, sparring with the drone, and gives him a cursory nod as he passes him on his way to the punching bag hanging near the far wall.  He wraps the knuckles of his left hand quickly and expertly, but leaves the other as it is; there doesn’t seem to be much point in wrapping the right.  Curling his hands into fists, he bounces on the balls of his feet for a moment before striking at the punching bag, movements lightning-quick.  So Ulaz thinks he’s delicate, huh?  ‘Delicate’ isn’t exactly the sort of word that could be used to describe someone who had done years of military training, been a gladiator in an alien fighting ring -- and been a damn good one, too, despite how much he had hated it -- and survived having a limb ripped off and a cyborg one grafted onto his body and neural system.  ‘Delicate’, his ass.  

He throws an especially hard punch that rattles the bag on its chain and makes his knuckles smart.  Wincing a little, he shakes it off while reaching for a water bottle with his other hand.  After a quick drink, he whips around and throws all his power into a punch with his right hand.  The metal lands with a dull  _ THUD  _ against the bag and the shock vibrates all the way up his arm, but the Galra-tech hand can handle much worse and he hardly feels any pain from it.  There’s a muffled “ _ oompf _ ” from behind the bag and he looks up to find Keith steadying the other side of it, peering around the bag at him.  “You okay?”

“I’m fine.”  Shiro bites out, jabbing a quick combo at the bag before hopping back again for a moment.  

Keith just shrugs and holds the bag steady.   “Alright.  I’m here if you want to talk something out, though.”  

“Right now I just want to punch this thing into oblivion.”  Shiro says.  

“Ah, one of those days.”  Keith smiles ruefully.  “I gotcha.”  

Shiro snorts quietly and darts forward, attacking the punching bag.  

~~~~~

Ulaz leaves Shiro’s room shortly after Shiro does.  He needs to find a place to brood, and the sleeping quarters of the incorrigible partner he is brooding about is not exactly the best place to do that.  He heads to the kitchen, hoping it will be empty around this time.  The argument with Shiro has left him feeling frustrated and hurt, and he finds himself sorely in need of some comfort food.  Altean cuisine isn’t quite the same as the Galra dishes he had grown up with, but they were similar, due to the alliance the two cultures had once had in millennia past.  The ‘food goo’, as the paladins called it, would suffice.  

He opens the kitchen door to find it is, unfortunately, not as empty as he would have thought.  Pidge is there, sitting at the island counter with a laptop and mostly-eaten bowl of green goo, seeming to be more interested in the former than the later, based on the half-congealed goo stuck to the inside of the bowl.  Ulaz doesn’t mind the green paladin, though; they’re both quiet and introverted individuals, so perhaps he won’t have to be engaged in conversation.  

While he’s helping himself to a plate of food goo, the doors open again and Lance shuffles in, hiding a yawn in his hand.  “Mornin’,” he mumbles in greeting.  

“Nice hickey.”  Pidge comments.  

Lance, who had looked very sleepy, seems to be awake instantly and slaps his hand over the right side of his neck.  “Damn it, I told him not to do that…” he mutters to himself.

“Other side.”  Pidge snorts, and Ulaz catches sight of a small, dark bruise on the left side of Lance’s throat before the blue paladin lets out a yelp and claps his hand over it.  

Ulaz frowns.  “Is that a bruise?  Shall I look at it for you?”  During his time here, Ulaz has mainly been teaching the paladins how to fight hand-to-hand combat with someone of Galra stature and training, as well as assisting Coran in the infirmary whenever there were injuries to be treated.  

“No, no, no, that won’t be necessary at all,” Lance laughs, looking a little uncomfortable.  Ulaz’s frown deepens; he really thought they were past the stage of the rest of the crew being wary of him.  Even the Alteans had come around, long as that had taken.  

“If you would prefer to have Coran treat your injuries, that is fine.”  Ulaz says stiffly, busying himself with retrieving a spoon.  “But you should not leave an injury untreated, particularly on such a vital part of the body as your throat.”  

Lance blinks, taking in his words.  “It’s not because you’re Galra, if that’s what you’re getting at.”  He says.  “It’s just a hickey.  It’ll fade in a couple of days.”

Ulaz pauses.  There is that word again… Sometimes the slang the paladins throw around confuses him, but he has found that they seldom hesitate to explain the words when Ulaz chooses to speak up.  Perhaps this is one of those cases.  “What is a hickey?”  He asks.

He sees the difference between this word and those of past experiences immediately; Lance’s face turns bright red -- embarrassment, he reminds himself, not only a sign of a fever -- and Pidge’s eyes snap up to stare at him, taken off the laptop screen for the first time.  Ulaz wonders if he ought to retract his question and pretend this never happened.  

“You’ve never heard of hickeys?”  Lance asks, his voice a bit higher pitched than normal.  

“That explains why Shiro never has any…” Pidge muses, turning back to the laptop.  

“Why would he?”  Ulaz frowns, confused.  “Is it a condition, like your allergies?”  

The two paladins share a look between them.  

“You handle it.”  Pidge says, waving a hand in Lance’s direction.  “I am not giving The Talk™ to curious aliens.”

Lance claps his hands together.  “Alright, Ulaz, here’s a lesson in human relationships 101--”  

“I wouldn’t qualify hickeys as 101-material.”  Pidge pipes up.

“Fine, human relationships, intermediate course.”  Lance shoots the green paladin a look.  “And you said you didn’t want to do this.”

“I don’t.  Continue.”

Lance rolls his eyes.  “Okay, so, when humans are in a relationship, there are certain activities we engage in with our partners.  Do you know about kissing?”

“Yes.”  He nods.  Shiro had explained that one a while ago.  It was somewhat similar to the Galra practice of nuzzling cheeks or touching foreheads.  

“Good, then you’re already halfway there.”  Lance nods.  “So, a hickey is kind of like a kiss given somewhere other than the lips -- usually the neck -- but involves a little more sucking and maybe some biting.  Light biting, like nibbling, not like you’re chomping into an apple.”  He quickly adds, noticing Ulaz’s alarmed expression.  

“I do not believe Galra mouths are suited to this practice.”  He admits slowly.

“I bet you can do it.  You’d just have to be careful.”  Lance says.  “Maybe start with just sucking, and try to steer clear of any major arteries?  You just want to break the blood vessels that are right under the surface of the skin, not do any real damage.”

“I do not want to break any blood vessels at all.”  Ulaz frowns.  “Doing so would injure Shiro.”

“This doesn’t hurt, really.”  Lance promises.  “In fact, if you’re in the right mood, the sensation can be really, really hot.  Er, a turn-on, not like temperature-wise.”  He adds, seeing Ulaz’s look of confusion.  

“So humans… enjoy being hurt in small amounts by their partners?”  Ulaz asks, still puzzled.  That just doesn’t seem right…

“Well, I wouldn’t really say it hurts, exactly…” Lance says slowly, bobbing his head from side to side in thought.  “I mean, sure, that’s a thing too, as long as it’s all consensual and agreed-upon beforehand.  That might be a little too much for you to dive into straight away, and I’m not sure if Shiro’s into that anyway… that’s a discussion you’re gonna have to have with him.”

“He said he would like me to be rougher with him.”  Ulaz looks away, the words bitter in his mouth.  “To Galra, that usually means they would like more space, and quite possibly to terminate the relationship in the near future.”

“Okay, then that is definitely something to bring up with Shiro, because it sounds like a cultural difference.”  Lance tells him.  “I’m fairly certain he didn’t mean it like that.  With humans, a certain amount of roughness indicates passion.  Like giving a hickey, or grabbing their hips, or pushing them up against the wall.”

Ulaz frowns.  “I do not understand that last one.”

“You know, like,” Lance holds his arms out a bit in front of him and then walks toward the wall, stopping about a foot from it.  Ulaz stares at him uncomprehendingly.  Lance looks around.  “Pidge!  Come help me for a second.”

“Heck no.”  Pidge doesn’t look up from the laptop.

“I need a demonstration!”  

“Don’t care.”

Lance frowns at the green paladin and opens his mouth to reply when the door slides open again and Hunk walks in, yawning widely.  “Morning, guys.  What’s up?” 

“Hunk!”  Lance grabs him by the hips and spins them around, pinning the yellow paladin to the wall in what reminds Ulaz of a fighting maneuver.  It looks almost exactly like when the princess was trying to intimidate Ulaz when he broke onto their ship, except that Lance finishes it by pressing close to him and kissing him full on the lips.  Lance pulls back and looks at Ulaz over his shoulder.  “Like that.”

“I’m not complaining, I’m really not,” Hunk sputters, blinking frantically.  “Just… uh…  _ what _ ?”

“Ulaz needed a demonstration.”  Lance explains.  “And, by the way, we’re only talking about this because  _ someone  _ couldn’t keep his hickeys below the collar-line.”  He pouts but kisses him again, pushing him into the wall and sliding a leg between his, which makes the yellow paladin squeak.

“I’m  _ eating _ , here!”  Pidge tells them, sounding frustrated.  

“Bull, you haven’t been eating for the past ten minutes.”  Lance says, but he pulls back anyway and turns to Ulaz.  “Did that help?”

“I suppose.”  Ulaz frowns.  In theory.  He just does not see the appeal.  “That is a very strange practice.”  

“Well, that’s just how humans are.”  Lance shrugs.  “It’s a way to let the person know you’re so excited to bang that you can’t help yourself.”

“Bang?”  Ulaz questions.

“You know, like smash.  Bump uglies.  Knock boots.  Get laid.”  Lance supplies, but Ulaz is unfamiliar with any of those words in the context provided.  The others understand, presumably, as Hunk covers his reddening face with his hands.

“Have sex.”  Pidge pipes up.

“Ah.”  Ulaz thinks about it.  “Even your words for mating are somewhat violent.”

“Not violent.  Passionate.”  Lance corrects.  

Ulaz eyes him doubtfully, but chooses not to argue the matter further.  Cultural difference, he reminds himself.  Although… it’s more than that.  Galra are naturally caring and affectionate toward their mates, yes, but this is  _ Shiro _ .  Shiro, a human, with blunt nails and flat teeth and thin skin.  Shiro, whose arm Ulaz had watched easily give way under Haggar’s knife, almost too easily to be someone who has already made a name for himself in the arena.  Shiro, who Ulaz has seen injured and hurt and struggling to live so many times.  Shiro, who despite his strength and unending leadership, Ulaz knows is just a creature who liked to curl up with a warm blanket and a set of trustworthy arms around him.  He could never hurt Shiro, not again.

But, in letting this misunderstanding fester, perhaps he already had.

Ulaz sets his spoon down.  “I believe I should speak with Shiro.”  

Lance shoots him a thumbs-up.  “Be safe and have fun.  Communication is your best friend.”  He walks over to the food goo dispenser, Hunk quietly asking for a full explanation of what he missed.

“Good luck,” Pidge adds, speaking to Ulaz.  Ulaz nods in acknowledgement.  He has a feeling he needs all the luck he can get.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t even know what this is tbh. Alien smut was a first-time challenge for me and idk if this turned out decent or just plain weird. It’s kinda rambly, but hopefully you enjoy it!

Ulaz finds Shiro on the training deck, unsurprisingly.  He’s in the back corner, throwing punch after punch at a large, heavy bag that Keith is helping steady from the other side.  Shiro’s movements are lightning-quick and the bag shakes with every powerful strike, chain rattling above it.  Keith catches Ulaz’s eyes as he approaches them, and Ulaz hears him quietly tell Shiro “I’m gonna take off” and Shiro’s grunt of acknowledgement.  

He stops just out of Shiro’s range, not wanting to get hit accidentally (or, given Shiro’s mood, on purpose).  “Shiro, I believe we need to talk.”

Shiro ignores him for a moment, whipping around in a circle to deliver a vicious roundhouse kick to the punching bag.  “You sure I’m not too weak and delicate for that?  I might need a fainting couch.”  He doesn’t look at Ulaz as he speaks, choosing instead to glare at the punching bag swinging on its chain, quivering as if in fear in front of him.  

“I never said you were weak.”  Ulaz frowns.  “And I did not mean that you are delicate.”  

“Really, that’s funny, because that’s exactly what you said.”  Shiro jabs at the punching bag, a quick combination.  Ulaz has a feeling he might be utilizing ‘sarcasm’, as the situation does not seem funny at all.

“Shiro, please.”  

“Sorry, my delicate ear-drums can’t hear you.”  

Ulaz snaps.  His hand darts out to catch Shiro’s mid-punch, long fingers easily closing around his wrist with enough force to completely stop his movement.  Shiro sucks in a sharp breath, his eyes widening briefly before he fixes his scowl in place.  “What.”

“You are acting childish.”  Ulaz tells him.  “Can we please have a discussion about this?”

Shiro glares up at him for a minute.  “Fine.”

Ulaz lets go of his wrist, and Shiro’s fingers hesitate over the spot before he crosses his arms.  

“I did not mean to insult you.”  Ulaz begins.  “I only meant that your body’s natural defenses are far fewer than those of a Galra.  I must be careful with my claws so I do not cut your skin.”

“I’m not  _ fragile _ .”  Shiro growls.

“You are not.”  Ulaz agrees.  “But your skin is less thick than that of a Galra.”

“I can handle it, though.”  Shiro says, glaring at him.  “You saw me in the arena.  You should know better than anyone how much I can take.”

“I don’t want to see you take it, though.  Please consider it from my side; I saw you in the arena.  I had to watch you being struck and beaten.  I was up to my elbows in your blood trying to save you every time you were brought to me on the verge of death, and I had to stand by and let them take you back to the arena as soon as you were healed enough to fight, always far too soon to be a true recovery.  I know exactly how much you can ‘take’, as you put it, because I had to watch in silence as they did their best to try and break you.”  Ulaz shakes his head.  “I have already seen bruises on every inch of your skin.  I will not see it happen again.  And I absolutely will not be the one to put them there.”

Shiro stares at him for a few moments, seeming at a loss for words.  He looks down, some of the tension bleeding out of his shoulders, and Ulaz can practically see him turning the words over in his mind, digesting them.

“I was not aware that humans viewed roughness as a sign of passion.”  Ulaz goes on.  “Galra are only ever gentle toward their mates.  To cause harm to a mate is unthinkable.”

Shiro pauses, as if taken aback by this information.  “...Really?”

“Please remember that Zarkon is not indicative of Galra as a whole.”  Ulaz says.  “And I doubt Zarkon rules the galaxy in the same manner in which he would act in private with a mate.”

“Oh.  Yeah.”  Shiro looks down.  “That makes sense.  Sorry.”

Ulaz nods, accepting the apology.  “If Galra mates do things that cause each other harm, it is usually because the relationship is not going well and will possibly be terminated soon.  So when you asked me to do that… I was surprised, and took it the wrong way.”  Ulaz goes on.  “This goes… a little deeper, though.  I must admit I have been treating you with utmost care, perhaps going too far, but it is only because I cannot bear the thought of hurting you in any capacity.”

“I’m not asking to be hurt,” Shiro repeats.  

“I realize that now.”  Ulaz says.  “I had a rather… enlightening discussion with Lance, just now.”

To his surprise, Shiro looks somewhat wary by this information.  “About…?”

“Something called hickeys.”  Ulaz hopes Shiro will know what that is, as he doesn’t feel confident enough to explain such a new topic.  “Also something about walls and pushing people into them.  There was a demonstration.  Brief, but rather informative.”

Shiro stares at him, then bursts out laughing.  “Oh man, when you said it was Lance I thought it would be a lot more graphic than that.”

“I must admit, I’m still not clear on the wall thing.”  Ulaz says, relieved that Shiro does not seem angry anymore.

“Then maybe I should just show you.”  Shiro’s smile turns a touch flirty, then he falters.  “But first… maybe we can reach a compromise?  Meet in the middle?”

Ulaz thinks about it and nods.  “I will try to be a little less overly-gentle with you, if you promise you will tell me immediately when it gets to be too much.”

“I can do that.  I can definitely do that.”  Shiro nods as well.  He unwraps the boxing wrap from around his knuckles and sets it back on the shelf, then turns to Ulaz and holds out his hand.  “Deal?”

Ulaz has seen this gesture and its reciprocal before.  The paladins have used it between themselves in situations such as ‘ _ wash the dishes for me tonight and I’ll give you the last space-cookie _ ’ and ‘ _ I won’t tell Allura you give the mice your food goo if you help me reach this ceiling panel _ ’, and Allura has sometimes used it when negotiating alliances with other planetary rulers.  It is slightly different from the Galra method of grasping forearms, as the action is limited to the hand only and involves an up-and-down bob of movement.  He remembers Allura saying something about it being called a ‘hand-shake’ and that it was best to grasp the hand firmly rather than loosely.  He supposes this is his first test.

Ulaz reaches out and takes Shiro’s hand, his own nearly twice the size of it.  Even though it is the Galra-tech one, his instincts tell him to be gentle.  He tamps down on that feeling and instead does it as if he were shaking the hand of another Galra (if Galra did this practice).  Firm.  Equal.  

The smile that softens Shiro’s entire expression lets him know he acted correctly.  He feels himself smile as well, relieved.  Shiro slowly pulls him closer, placing Ulaz’s other hand on his waist, and Ulaz tries to keep the pressure consistent with the handshake from before.  

“Now,” Shiro’s smile turns flirtatious.  “I believe you wanted an explanation about walls?”

“In the context of romantic encounters.”  Ulaz clarifies.  He knows what they are in general, of course.

“Good, because that’s my favorite use for them.”  Shiro takes a few steps backward, tugging Ulaz along with him, until he’s a couple feet away from the wall.  “You said there was a demonstration?  Show me what you learned.”

Ulaz hesitates.  “You’re sure you like this?”  Given how much fighting Shiro did, it would make sense for him not to.

“Yeah.”  Shiro puts both of Ulaz’s hands on his waist and pushes up onto the tips of his toes to kiss him.  “You can be a little forceful.  I promise to tell you if it’s too much.”  

Right.  Compromise.  Ulaz takes a moment to prepare himself and remember in his mind’s eye what Lance had done in the kitchen, then surges forward and pushes Shiro until his back touches the wall before leaning down to kiss him.  He feels a puff of air above his lips and hopes that is not a sign that he knocked Shiro’s breath out of his chest.  He pulls back and looks down at him.  “Was that correct?”

Shiro bites his lip, eyes sparkling, and Ulaz realizes he was fighting back  _ laughter _ .  “Yeah, pretty much… it’s a start, at least.  You can do it a little harder than that, too.”  He squeezes Ulaz’s arm.  “I’m sorry, I’m not laughing, you’re just really cute.”

“Cute?”  Ulaz wrinkles his nose.  He wonders if this is how Shiro felt when he called him delicate.

“Your enthusiasm is endearing.”  Shiro explains.  “And I appreciate it, by the way.  But you don’t have to try so hard to be careful.  Try loosening up, acting more natural.”  

There is nothing natural about pinning a mate to a wall like an enemy, Ulaz thinks.  This position is more suited to intimidating an adversary in hand-to-hand combat.

“Treat me how you would if I were Galra.”  Shiro adds helpfully.

If Shiro were Galra instead of human… Ulaz supposes pinning a mate to the wall is not so different than pinning them down on a bed.  He hadn’t considered that, before.  If Shiro were Galra, he would not hesitate to do that, to push Shiro onto his bed and kiss him until he is breathless and boneless.  Perhaps that is all Shiro wanted -- to be treated as Ulaz’s equal, both mentally and physically,  rather than something needing to be protected.  To be treated like a Galra, and not as something lesser or weaker, even if that was not Ulaz’s intention.    

Well.  Consider Ulaz a fool.  He could see how even good intentions could be misconstrued.

With this in mind, Ulaz grips his hips just a touch tighter and pushes him into the wall, leaning down to kiss Shiro.  This is different from their previous kisses, light pecks and what Shiro called butterfly kisses (Ulaz still isn’t entirely sure what a butterfly is, though).  This one is harder, more firm, and Shiro opens his mouth with a sigh and tugs Ulaz closer.  Ulaz makes sure to be mindful of his teeth, as they are sharper than Shiro’s, but it is easier than he thought it would be.  It seems there is little difference in the way humans and Galra kiss, and both are grateful for that.  

Remembering something else, Ulaz slides a leg between Shiro’s, but his legs are considerably longer than Lance’s, and the middle of his thigh ends up brushing between the fork between Shiro’s legs, making him suck in a sharp breath and knock his head back on the wall as a quiet “fuck…” escapes him.  

Ulaz pauses, concerned, but Shiro pulls him down for another messy kiss, grinding against his leg, and Ulaz decides he’s probably fine.  Himself, on the other hand… well, this angle isn’t great for his neck.  He pulls back from the kiss, hand leaving Shiro’s waist to slide down his hip and to his thigh.  “May I pick you up?”  There’s a chance Shiro might get offended again, but their difference in height really can’t be ignored.

“Oh fuck yes,” Shiro says, and Ulaz is relieved that he sounds excited by that option.  Shiro jumps a little bit to help as Ulaz lifts him up, and then wraps his legs around Ulaz’s waist.  This angle works much better for them, and Ulaz surges forward for another kiss.  He presses Shiro back into the wall and swallows the low groan he makes.  Shiro’s hands come up and run alongside the narrow ridge of hair along the crest of Ulaz’s head, blunt nails scratching lightly in a way that Ulaz has never thought of before, given the length of his own claws.  A prickling feeling is left in the wake of his nails, the sensation foreign but very much welcome.  

After a few minutes of making out, Ulaz starts to notice how Shiro is subtly grinding against his stomach, and Ulaz can feel himself growing hard as well.  He pulls back from the kiss.  “Perhaps we should move to your room.”  He suggests, trailing his lips along Shiro’s jawline.  He is curious to try this ‘hickeys’ practice, but that seems an activity for the bedroom rather than the public training deck.  

“Yeah,” Shiro nods, eager.  “Yeah, let’s do that.”  

Ulaz sets him down and bumps his cheek against Shiro’s, a distinctly Galra gesture of affection.  Shiro smiles and takes his hand, leading him toward the door.  Luckily, they don’t run into any of the others on their way back to Shiro’s sleeping quarters.  The moment the door is closed behind them, Ulaz pushes Shiro back up against it and kisses him again, swallowing his moan.  Shiro runs his hands down Ulaz’s sides, pulling him closer before pushing him back, never breaking the kiss as he walks them over to the bed.  Ulaz lets himself fall back onto the bed when his legs hit the edge of it, and Shiro climbs up onto his lap to put them at the same height again.

“If you would not mind,” Ulaz says.  “Please tell me how to do the hickey thing, and then I can do it for you, if you wish.”  Part of him wants to do this before he forgets, distracted with… other things, and another part of him knows that Shiro will undoubtedly come back to this topic eventually, and he wants to get this over with before the issue can fester as it had this morning.  And, if he is being completely honest, part of him is curious about this human practice.  Wary, yes, but cautiously curious as well.

“Sounds good.”  Shiro smiles, shifting his lips to kiss over the sharp cut of Ulaz’s cheekbones and down the side of his neck.  “The trick is to just bite enough to leave a mark, not do any actual damage.”  He explains in a low voice, breath puffing over the short hairs covering Ulaz’s skin.

“A mark…” Ulaz muses, hand coming up to absently rub the back of Shiro’s hair, ruffling the soft strands.  “Like a mating mark?”  Galra did often bite down on the junction of their mate’s neck and shoulder, but because of their physiology and the pheromones during mating, it was not painful.  He knew humans lacked such things, though, so he had already resigned himself to never being able to create a mating mark on Shiro, much as he would like to. 

“Probably.”  Shiro says.  “In a way, it lets people know your partner is claimed.  It’s also a nice reminder to the person themselves, I think, like you can still feel them with you afterward.”

“Like a mating mark.”  Ulaz decides he likes that idea very much. “Please show me.”  

Shiro chuckles and moves closer, kissing down the side of his throat.  “It works best where the skin is soft, places like necks and collarbones and the insides of the thighs.  I really like those ones.  You can feel them for days afterward, under your clothes, like a constant reminder.”

Ulaz hums thoughtfully.  He likes the idea of people being able to see them rather than being hidden, and the thought of his teeth getting so close to some very sensitive parts of Shiro makes him a little nervous.  It would be so easy to slip up and hurt him.  Perhaps that is part of it, though; trusting your partner with your most vulnerable state.  

Shiro licks and kisses a spot along the side of Ulaz’s throat, periodically explaining what he is doing but mostly just letting Ulaz experience it for himself.  His skin might be thicker than a human’s, but it is not less sensitive, and Ulaz finds he greatly enjoys the sensation.  It is more sucking than biting, he is relieved to find, but there is a bit of nibbling.  He thinks he can do this.

Shiro pulls away from his neck, rubbing a thumb over the spot of tender flesh there.  He wonders if the bruise will be visible on his already-purple skin.  He is inclined to think it is, based on the small, smug smile on Shiro’s lips, and Ulaz’s heart swells at the thought that his mate is proud of leaving a mating mark on him.  “Ready to try it?”  Shiro asks, smiling reassuringly.  

Ulaz nods.  Getting an idea, he shifts them and pushes Shiro back onto the blankets, kneeling over him.  Shiro closes his eyes and links his hands around the back of Ulaz’s neck as he starts carefully -- but not  _ too  _ carefully -- licking and sucking on a spot on the side of Shiro’s throat.  Shiro hums in appreciation, arching his back and turning his head to the side to grant him better access. Ulaz pulls back to check the appearance and stops when the color reaches a dull, dark red.  It looks… not much different than a bruise, quite frankly, and the sight of it on Shiro’s skin among all his other scars makes Ulaz go still for a moment.  He reminds himself that  _ he  _ was the one that put it there, not out of malice but out of love, and that Shiro had quite obviously enjoyed it, based on the sounds he was making and the way he kept grinding against Ulaz’s knee.  It is different than a Galra mating mark, yes, but that does not mean it has to be a bad thing.  He runs a finger over it and watches how Shiro’s eyes flutter closed, and that soft, content smile is what closes the deal for him; he would do anything to get Shiro that relaxed and happy.  Leaning down, he presses one last gentle kiss to the darkened spot.  “Is one sufficient, or may I do more?”

“You can do more,” Shiro chuckles, winding his arms around his neck.  “I like getting a little marked up sometimes.”  

Ulaz hums and moves down to kiss and suck just above Shiro’s collarbone.  Galra shoulders are broader, but human collarbones are more prominent under the skin, and he likes the angle and dip they create.  He especially likes how another mark looks against them by the time he is finished.  He rubs a thumb over the mark, and this time doesn’t apologize when his nail brushes against Shiro’s skin.  Instead, it gives him an idea, and he lets his nails run lightly down Shiro’s chest.  Shiro’s breath catches and he arches up into the touch, moaning.  

“Your shirt,” Ulaz says, tugging on the hem of it.  “May I remove it?”

“Please,” Shiro nods and sits up, reaching for Ulaz’s shirt as well.  “Yours, too.”  

Mindful of his claws, he unzips Shiro’s vest and slides it off of him, but lets Shiro peel off the skin-tight shirt underneath himself, not trusting his claws that much quite yet.  He takes off his own armor, and finds Shiro tugging his pants down his legs so he follows suit, until they are both naked.  

Shiro glances his way, then stops and blinks.  “Oh.  Wow.”  

Ulaz drops his gaze to between Shiro’s legs, and finds himself surprised at what he finds there.  It is the same general shape, but looks… different.  Naked, as redundant as that seems.  “Yours is not armored?”  

Shiro’s cheeks turn pink.  “Why would it be  _ armored _ ?”

“For protection?”  Ulaz is confused.  “It’s a vital and sensitive part of the body.  What do you do if you are struck there?”

“Uh, usually curl up on the floor in agonizing pain for several minutes.”  Shiro admits, rubbing the back of his neck.   

“That does not seem productive.”  Ulaz says, bemused.  

“Oh we can be plenty productive with what we have.”  Shiro snorts.  “Want to see how?”     

He would, indeed, but… “Shiro, wait,” 

Shiro looks up, confused, but Ulaz doesn’t say anything further.  He is hesitant to speak up, now, but he knows he must.

“What is it?”  Shiro asks.  He looks down at his crotch, at the obvious arousal there.  He looks back up at Ulaz again.  “Did you not want to…?”  

What he wants and what is wise are two different things.  “How… how far do you wish to go with this?”  Ulaz asks carefully.

Shiro blinks.  “I’m good with anything.  All the way.”

Ulaz was afraid of that.  He takes a deep breath and slowly releases it. 

Shiro eyes him carefully.  “Is there something on your mind?”

“I do not wish to upset you.”  He is uncertain how to bring it up without the risk of Shiro getting offended again.  

Shiro’s brow furrows, his lips pulling into a concerned frown.  “Was it something I did?”

“No, no, of course not.” Ulaz says quickly.  

Shiro tilts his head, looking thoughtful.  “Then what…?”  He pauses.  Blinks.  Ulaz can almost see the moment he realizes it.  “Oh… you’re still afraid of hurting me.” 

“It is not because I think you are weak.”  Ulaz clarifies.  “It is just that… well, that’s an extremely sensitive area of the body, and…” he gestures between the two of them, words feeling inadequate in this situation.  “Frankly, it is the armor that concerns me more than the size.”  

“Hm,” Shiro hums thoughtfully, and Ulaz is intensely relieved that he does not seem offended again.  “As much as I’d like to try it, we shouldn’t anything either of us is uncomfortable with.  What if we set the penetrative stuff aside for later?  Hand-jobs and blow-jobs are fun, too, you know.”  

Ulaz blinks.  “...A what?”

“You… don’t know what a hand-job or a blow-job is?”  Shiro tilts his head.  Ulaz shakes his head.  Shiro smiles and goes on.  “A hand-job is someone using their hand to get someone off,” he makes a jerking up-and-down motion in the vicinity of their laps, and Ulaz believes he gets the general idea.  “A blow-job is kinda similar, but someone using their mouth.  Oral sex.”  

“I don’t believe Galra mouths are suited to this practice.”  Ulaz says, thinking of his sharp teeth.  

“Well, then it’s a good thing human mouths are, and that I know what I’m doing with it.”  Shiro says, linking his arms around the back of Ulaz’s neck.  “Here’s an idea: what if I blow you, and I’m the one calling the shots?  Then you won’t need to worry about if what you’re doing is hurting me.”

Ulaz considers it.  Ordinarily, he would want nothing more than to push Shiro onto his back on the bed, nuzzle his face against the side of his throat, lavish his body with soft touches and thrust deep into him until Shiro has forgotten every name but Ulaz’s.  But he worries, still.  He worries about going too hard, or too fast, or hurting him by accident.  After seeing Shiro hurt so many times at the hands of the Empire and Haggar, he cannot bear the thought of causing him pain, even unintentionally.  Putting the pace in Shiro’s hands, though, would ensure that they did not stray outside Shiro’s comfort zone, both mental and physical.  He could be much more certain that what they did would be Shiro’s choice and liking.  Perhaps he could take the reins another time, when they were both more accustomed to each other.  “Yes,” he nods finally.  “I would like that.”  

Shiro smiles, eyes bright.  “Then lay back.”  He punctuates his words by pressing a kiss to Ulaz’s lips, then settles himself between Ulaz’s legs as the Galran leans back against the pillows at the head of the bed.  Shiro smooths his hands down Ulaz’s sides appreciatively, admiring the pale, tribal-like patterns continuing down his chest.  He is surprised to find that Ulaz’s body is covered in a barely-noticeable layer of short, thin hair over his lilac skin, broken only by a few scars here and there that stand as a testament to Ulaz’s strength as a warrior.  Shiro lets his gaze slide lower, fingers dragging over the tops of his thighs as he eyes Ulaz’s cock.  It is an impressive length, proportional to the rest of his long-limbed body, and Shiro is looking forward to the day he can have that inside him.  The head is a deep lavender color and tapered, and below the head the shaft is composed of large, overlapping scale-like plates, like those on a pangolin’s body.  They look hard to the touch, and Shiro is eager to find out if that is the case, so after a glance up at Ulaz’s face, he reaches out and wraps his hand around as much of it as he can.  The plates are hard, about the consistency of fingernails, and quite warm due to the blood pulsing underneath.  Shiro wonders if the armor dulls the sensations a bit, and experimentally adjusts his grip with both hands and strokes down the shaft, his own cock growing harder at the idea of all those little ridges between the plates rubbing his insides.  Ulaz lets out a content rumble above him, almost like a purr.  Shiro pumps back up, fingers catching on the ridges, and Ulaz’s breath hitches.  Intrigued, Shiro pauses and traces along one of the bottoms of the plates, brushing as much of the underside as he can get to.  Ulaz lets his head fall back with a groan, hips jerking up, and Shiro grins.  So the undersides of the plates are sensitive?  Very interesting...  

Kneeling down, Shiro licks his lips and closes his mouth around the tip, above the first row of armored scales.  It is hot and heavy on his tongue, and has a slightly bitter taste, but hardly any worse than blowing another human.  Ulaz lets out a loud groan and his hips thrust up, pushing the first row of armor into the hot mouth around him.  Shiro presses down on his hips firmly, and luckily Ulaz gets the message.  Shiro sucks hard on the head and slides his tongue under the ridges, experimenting to find what seems to give Ulaz the most amount of pleasure.  His efforts earn him a gasped fragment of his name spilling from Ulaz’s lips.  Something large touches the back of his head only briefly, barely even enough to be felt, and Ulaz utters a Galran curse before there is a quiet  _ thump  _ off to the side of them.  Shiro pulls off with a  _ pop _ and finds Ulaz with one hand behind the back of his head, propped up so he can watch Shiro, and the other fisted in the blankets near his hip.  Shiro curls his fingers around Ulaz’s hand and lifts it, guiding it to the back of his head.  “You can put your hand on my head, or grab my hair, if you want.”  He tells him with a reassuring smile.  

“You are sure?”  Ulaz asks, leaving his hand where Shiro placed it.  

“Yeah,” Shiro nods.  “I like it.  Just don’t push me down too much, or pull my hair too hard.  I’ll tap your hip if I need you to let go.”  He gives the front of his hip a light but firm tap, demonstrating.  

Ulaz considers it for a moment, then lets out another purr-like hum.  “Alright.”  He shifts his hand, pushing his fingers through the longer, white strands before settling on the back of his head, thumb stroking the line where his undercut fades into a shorter buzz.  Smiling, Shiro goes down on him again, swirling his tongue around the head and the first ridge before moving down to the next one.  Ulaz doesn’t push him, but Shiro loves the weight of his heavy, broad hand resting on the back of his head.  He relaxes his jaw, taking as much of him as he can and fisting his hands around the rest.  He swallows, and Ulaz lets out a guttural growl, fingers tightening in his hair.  Shiro hums happily, which just makes the fingers grip harder.  Shiro bobs his head, becoming more confident in his movements, occasionally pulling off to pay special attention to the sensitive head while his hand works the rest of it.  The head grows a little longer, he notices, seeming to come out of its protective sheath, and he finds that digging his tongue into the sheath and sucking hard on the head reduces Ulaz to a shaking, gasping mess.  

“Shiro…” Ulaz warns, tugging lightly on his hair.  “I… I am close…”

Shiro hums lowly and bobs, tonguing under each ridge as he takes him to the hilt once more.  He swallows hard, and a shudder ripples through Ulaz’s thighs where they bracket his shoulders, fingers tightening in his hair as he comes with a groan.  Shiro swallows again, making a bit of a face at how much stickier it feels than human cum, and slowly pulls off, hand pumping lazily.  A bit more spills out of the tip, thick and light purple with a slight iridescent sheen to it, and he licks it up before the head begins to retreat back into its armored sheath.  He sits up, wiping the back of his hand across the mess around his mouth.  “How was it?”  He asks, grinning.  Ulaz looks pretty blissed-out.

Yellow eyes crack open and look down at him.  “Amazing…” he murmurs, fingers pushing through Shiro’s hair again before trailing down his neck and across his shoulder.  Ulaz pauses, lips pinching into the slightest of frowns, and before Shiro can ask what’s wrong, he sits up and brushes a thumb over Shiro’s left nipple.  His eyes widen.  “We did not use protection.”  

Shiro lets out a laugh.  “I can’t get pregnant, if that’s what you’re worried about.”  He says.  “Human males don’t get pregnant, and no one can get pregnant from just oral.”

“Then why…?”  Ulaz looks puzzled and rubs his thumb over Shiro’s nipple, watching it pebble and harden.  

“It… has something to do with when babies’ hormones develop during pregnancy or… something like that…”  Shiro’s breath hitches as Ulaz experimentally pinches it between two fingers.  “I can’t really… remember when you’re d-doing that…”  He lets out a groan as Ulaz’s other hand slides up to play with the other, pinching and tugging lightly.  

“Human bodies are very strange.”  Ulaz muses, dropping his gaze to Shiro’s hard, reddened cock, straining upwards and dripping pre-cum onto his stomach.  

“Are you saying you  _ don’t  _ want to play around with my ‘strange’ dick?”  Shiro shoots him a sly grin.  “Because I had a  _ lot  _ of fun with yours.”

“Do you think it would be wise?”  Ulaz asks, holding up his hand.  Shiro takes it, running a finger over the nails consideringly.  They are long, yes, and he could see how they could potentially do some damage if there was a certain amount of force behind the strike -- he still has the scars on his side from Haggar’s claws -- but they are not particularly sharp, worn down with use.  Feeling along the edges reminds him of the ceremonial saber he had worn with his dress uniform at a friend’s wedding after they had graduated from the Garrison.  Dulled down and not especially sharp.

“I think it’ll be fine.”  Shiro smiles, pressing a kiss to his palm.  “I trust you.”  His words cause the worried lines creasing Ulaz’s brow to soften, and the Galran resumes his careful exploration of Shiro’s chest, one hand tracing over old, twisted scars while the other rolls the hardened bud of a nipple between his fingers.  Shiro’s breath quickens and his hips automatically twitch, cock aching to be touched, but Ulaz does not hasten his pace.  His hand slides down Shiro’s ribs, fingertips barely touching his skin as they skim over him, and Shiro’s breath hitches as the tickling sensation makes his nerves go haywire.  He bites his lip, and Ulaz does it again, mistaking the reactions as interest.  Unable to stop himself, Shiro recoils from the sensation as the fingers tickle his sides.  Ulaz stops, retreating immediately.  Shiro takes his hands and puts them on his waist again, holding them down firmly with his own.  “I want you to touch me.”  Shiro tells him.  “But you’ve  _ got  _ to use more pressure than that.  Otherwise it just tickles and to me, that’s unpleasant.”  

Ulaz huffs, frustrated.  “I do not want to hurt you.”  His gaze drops to Shiro’s chest, to the myriad of scars crisscrossing his skin.  

“You won’t.”  Shiro leans up to kiss him.  “I trust you.  Please, just trust me in return.”  

Ulaz nods soberly.  Shiro lets go of his hands, and they stay there on his waist.  A thumb strokes over the bottom of his ribs, careful but not too light, as if Ulaz is gauging the pressure.  He looks thoughtful for a few long moments, then moves suddenly, spinning them around to push Shiro down onto the pillows where Ulaz had been several minutes ago.  

Shiro blinks, momentarily taken aback by the movement, then Ulaz kneels above him and the position presses Shiro further into the bedding, and his eyes flutter closed with a moan while his cock twitches.  Ulaz glances down at it, interested.  “Good?”

“Very good.”  Shiro agrees, letting himself sink back against the bed.  His head tips back with a groan as Ulaz leans down and licks the flat of his tongue in a broad stripe over his right nipple, pinching the other one.  The tip of a claw catches on the sensitive skin, not enough to hurt, but enough to send heat shooting down to his groin.  He wraps a leg around Ulaz’s back and tries to tug him closer, wanting to grind against him.  

Ulaz pulls back, looking disgruntled, and pushes Shiro’s hips back onto the bed.  “Stay still.”  He does not want to hurt Shiro by accident, and slip-ups can occur when either party gets too enthusiastic.  

Shiro’s eyes sparkle excitedly, relishing the hand on his hip and the power he can feel in the curled fingers.  “Make me.”  He replies, rolling his hips up.  Ulaz quirks an eyebrow up, seeing through him immediately, and he presses Shiro’s hips down more forcefully, earning a low groan spilling from Shiro’s lips in response.  

Ulaz drags his other hand down Shiro’s chest and stomach, letting his nails rake lightly over Shiro’s skin.  Shiro gasps, hips twitching up in a thrust that is stopped by Ulaz’s firm grip.  “Fuck… Ulaz… so  _ good _ …” He breaks off with a whine as the hand finally --  _ finally _ \-- wraps around his cock.  

“Patience.”  Ulaz hums, stroking slowly.  “What is that you are always saying about patience?”

“Fuck patience and fuck me,” Shiro groans, throwing his head back.  

Ulaz chuckles at that and rubs over the head of his cock with the pad of his thumb.  The Galran is surprised at how hard it feels, despite the fleshy appearance and lack of armor.  He circles his fingers around the length, careful to keep his claws away from the skin, and strokes up and down as he had seen Shiro do for him.  Getting an idea, he loosens his grip, lightening the touch.  

Shiro sighs, his eyes opening to look down at him.  “Ulaz, we just talked about this…” 

“I want to try something.”  Ulaz tells him.  Shiro quiets down, watching him with flushed cheeks and a furrowed brow.  Ulaz lets the edge of one of his claws skim up the length, making Shiro’s breath hitch and his cock jump.  Ulaz continues to touch him softly, carefully, experimentally, all the while holding his hips down hard enough to leave bruises.  The starkly-different sensations soon have Shiro flushed and moaning, rocking his hips up in vain as he tries to chase the pleasure that Ulaz keeps holding just out of his reach.  It’s maddening, and Shiro loves it. 

He keens and arches his back as the tip of a claw dips into his slit.  “Fuck, Ulaz,  _ please _ , I need… I need it, please…”

Ulaz hums, leaning down to nuzzle the base of his cock with his flat nose.  “If you can be good and hold still, I will use my mouth.  But you  _ must  _ keep still.”  His canines are much more pointed than those of human teeth.  An errant jerk of his hips could do serious damage there.  

“Yes, please, I’ll be good, I promise,” Shiro pleads, fisting his hands in the blankets at his sides.  Ulaz guides one of his hands to the back of his head, as Shiro had done for him.  Shiro threads his fingers into Ulaz’s crest of white hair without needing to be told.  He grips Shiro’s hips with both hands to ensure he stays still, then licks a broad stripe up his cock.  Shiro keens but refrains from squirming as Ulaz licks him again.  He carefully closes his lips around the head, mindful not to go down far enough to let his sharp canines come into contact with the sensitive, hot flesh.  Shiro does not seem to mind, though, gasping out garbled versions of Ulaz’s name and tangling his fingers in his hair as Ulaz sucks and licks as much as he dares.  He comes with a cry, spilling into Ulaz’s mouth, and the Galran makes a face at the bitterness as he swallows, doing as Shiro had done.  He watches, fascinated, as Shiro’s cock softens.  Human bodies are very peculiar, indeed, he thinks.  

Shiro smiles down at him, looking sated as he lightly scratches blunt nails over the skin behind Ulaz’s ears.  Ulaz cannot deny that it does feel quite nice, despite how foreign the sensation is.  He lets go of Shiro’s hips and is about to ask how he liked it when he stops, the sight of the light purple bruises peppering his hip sending a cold spike of worry through him.  

Shiro notices his gaze and smiles, guiding him up to lay beside him.  “It’s okay.  I loved it.”  

Ulaz sighs and wraps his arms around Shiro, rubbing his back.  “Your proclivity for sustaining mild injuries during intimacy is somewhat concerning.”   

“It doesn’t hurt, I promise,” Shiro shakes his head, kissing Ulaz’s nose.  “Honestly, that’s probably one of the sexiest things you did.”

Humans are very, very strange, Ulaz thinks.  But he will endeavor to meet Shiro halfway, as his fondness for him outweighs his apprehension.  Relationships are about give and take, and this is simply another part.  

He wonders, as they drift off to sleep wrapped in each other’s arms, if one day he will be able to leave a proper Galra mating mark on Shiro.  But that is a discussion for another time.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Not pictured: Lance spots the hickey and sings “You’re Welcome” from Moana)
> 
> “So what can I say except “you’re welcome”? For helpin’ your boyfriend get luck-y, hey it’s okay, it’s okay, you’re welcome, for teachin’ your boyfriend how’ta f---” “LANCE.”

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know if you liked it! I have a [tumblr](https://bouquetofwhoopsiedaisies.tumblr.com/) that is mostly nsfw and almost entirely voltron-related by now, you can pm me if you want my main blog too tho. Thank you for reading!


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